Kirby Squeak Squad DS lets you take the deliciously fun shape-shifting pink guy on a platforming trek, storing and mixing up skill sets.

I adore Kirby games, and Squeak Squad DS is no exception. You're jumping down holes, climbing up ladders, and navigating mazes of course. But the main task of Kirby-land is to figure out what items are available to eat - and then to combine together multiple items to come up with cool new techniques.

The activation sequence is a bit tricky - you have to spin your finger around the four directions of the D pad to turn things on - but it's well worth it. The cool combinations you can come up with are great fun!

You're allowed to store items in "bubbles" in Kirby's stomach, which is what the bottom half of your DS screen is dedicated to. This lets you choose what item to use in a certain situation, or to combine them together if you wish.

Even more fun, as you go you unlock color options for Kirby himself. Interested in a blue kirby, or a citrus-colored Kirby? You can do it! Of course, many traditionalists will insist that Kirby only comes in one color, that is Pepto-Bismol Pink.

The game is well done, in that it's both simple enough for younger players and entertaining enough for older players as well. It's relatively short, so that you can use it to pass the time while waiting in line at the supermarket or taking a bus ride without worrying about memorizing arcane combinations of keys or memorizing a rule book of negotiation tactics. You have just as much fun replaying it, aiming to unlock every chest you find and to get through as quickly as possible.

I admit that I still adore the days of The Crystal Shards and hope that these styles of games will come out on the Wii in the future. But for travel playing, Kirby Squeak Squad definitely fits the bill as fun, easy to learn, engaging and short enough to fit in the spaces you have available in your schedule.